Device for locking coffins



(No Model.)

J. Q. A. BENNETT.

DEVICE FOR LOOKING UOFPINS.

No. 350,032. Patented Sept. 28, 1886.

i gg Jhveror, J, ajenheffi PATENT FFTQEO JOHN Q. A. BENNETT, OF BELLEFONTAINE, OHIO.

DEVICE FOR LOOKING COFFlNS.

@I-EGFFIJATEON forming part of Letters Patent No. 350,032, dated September 28, 1886. Application filed February .26, 1886. Serial No. 193,345. (N0 model.)-

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN Q. A. BENNETT, of Bellefontaine, Logan county, in the State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Looks for Vaults, &c., of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a transverse section through a burial-vault supplied with my improved lock, and showing a coffin or casket in end view. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged sectional views of the lock, showing part of the surrounding vault, the sections being taken on line 2 3, Fig. 1, Fig. 2 showing the look before it is sprung, the vault-top not being quite down upon the body, and Fig. 3 showing the top down upon the body, with the lock sprung to hold the top upon the body. Fig. 4Lis a detail perspective view showing the locking-bolt and trip only.

My invention relates to an improved form of lock, intended more particularly for burialvaults, though it may be used for other purposes; and my invention consists in features of novelty hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the body of an ordinary burial-vault, and B the top.

0 represents a coffin within the vault.

The object of my invention is to provide a lock by which the top may be rigidly,quickly, and securely attached to the body, and a lock that cannot be easily broken ortarnpered with by body-Snatchers. To this end I secure to the inside of the vertical walls B ofthe top B a locking-bolt, I, by brackets J ,which allow the locking bolt to move from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in .Fig. 3. This bolt is held back into the position shown in Fig. 2, until the top is placed upon the body of the vault, by a retaining bolt or plate, L, provided with a head, M, that fits in a notch or recess, N, made in the bolt 1, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. It is held in this position by a spring, 0, secured to the top or cover of the casket, the spring permitting an upward movement of the retaining bolt or plate from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3. WVhile the head M of the retaining-bolt is in the notch N of the locking-bolt, it will be seen that the latter will beheld in the position shown in Fig. 2; but as soon as the retainingbolt is lifted or moved out of the notch N of the locking-bolt the latter will be thrown forward to theposition shown in Fig. 3 by a suitable spring, P.

T represents a band or projection upon the upper part of the body of the casket. This band has a notch or recess, U, to receive each look upon the top or cover of the casket. In one of the vertical walls of this notch or opening U is a recess, V, into which the forward end of the locking-bolt enters to secure thetop to the body of the vault.

The operation is as follows: The coffin being placed in the vault-,the top or cover is put on, the lock entering the recess or notch -U in the band T. Before the top is put on, however, the lockingbolt is moved back into the position shown in Fig. 2, and held there by the retaining-bolt L, and as the top or coverseats itself upon the body the lower end of the retaining-bolt L comes against the lower or bottom wall, X, of the notch or recess, and is held from downward movement during the latter part of the movement of the cover or top, and, consequently, the locking-bolt moves farther down than the retaining-bolt, and the head of the retaining-bolt is thus removed from the notch N of the lockingbolt, and the lockingbolt is sprung forward, as shown in Fig. 3, e11- gaging in the notch V of the band or strip T. It will thus be seen that the cover will be securely held and looked upon the body of the vault, and cannot be reached to be tampered with or broken. As there is no necessity for unlocking the top or cover, there is of course no means provided for access to the lock. To prevent any .endwise movement of the top or cover, I provide it with a projection, B, that enters the top of each notch or recess, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The top of the vault may be provided with any number of these looks, as desired.

It will be seen that this look depends for its operativeness only upon a suitable projection from the side wall of the casket for tripping IOC the retaining-bolt L (which is here shown to constitute the bottom of a recess, U. formed in a strip, T, secured to the outside of the casket) and a keeper, with which the locking-bolt I may be forced to engage when liberated by the retaining-bolt. This latter is shown in the drawings to constitute the upper side, V, of a horizontal recess, V, out in one of the vertical walls of the larger recess, U.

I am aware that various means have been devised for accomplishing the objectof my present invention, and do not claim such, broadly, as-my invention.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination of a vault, the notched band T, having recess-V, locking-bolt secured to the top or cover, the brackets, and retaining-bolt, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the vault-body. band T, having notches U, with bottoms X and walls recessed at V, cover B, consisting of a notched locking-bolt, and a headed retainingbolt, the latter being disengaged from the locking-bolt by coming against the bottom of 25 the notches U, substantially as shown and described, for the purpose set forth.

JOHN Q. A. BENNETT.

In presence of S. A. JOHNSTON, W4C. TREMAIN. 

